The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia

Along with Kabul, Sadr City and large portions of Detroit, I can now add Lilburn, GA., to the list of places I never want to visit, as its mayor has banned karaoke from all drinking establishments:

Karaoke can bring more than bad voices, Lilburn Mayor Jack Bolton said. It can bring bars.

"Our intention was always to just have alcohol in restaurants," Bolton said. "We don't want to have dance clubs, party clubs or bars. If it means being made fun of because we don't allow karaoke, that's fine, too."

Lilburn permits liquor licenses only for establishments in which 50 percent of sales comes from food. Bolton suspects [area sports bar] Sports Fan might not meet that standard, but proving that would be difficult. It is much easier to ban activities common to bars: card games, pool, video games, trivia nights and, yes, karaoke.

Bolton's modern-day Rev. Moore routine may be noble, but it's not gonna work: Anyone who's been to one of our nation's vibrant, culturally astute sports bars knows that those guys will break into joyous song with little or no provocation.

THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: Shut up and drink, Lilburn bar patrons told